Marine Camp Sneak Peek: Welcome to Camp!

What to Expect? Get ready to explore!

As summer approaches, we’re getting ready for another season of science, discovery and excitement. Marine Science Camp offers a magical opportunity for young biologists to explore science in the field, interact with live animals and get their hands wet as they are immersed in a fun outdoor learning environment. Learning outdoors is hard and rewarding work, and campers go home each day having exercised both their minds and bodies with interactive science-focused activities.

What adventures await your camper? What lessons? What fun? When you pull up in the morning, don’t be surprised to be greeted by an instructor in costume, with music blasting to get everyone excited for the day. When you pick up your camper in the afternoon, you’ll see the same costumes and faces smeared with smiles, mud and, possibly, fish scales! During the time in between, campers will enjoy diving into different areas of marine science, habitats and animals.

Interspersed with educational games, songs, stories and crafts, campers will learn about the natural world. They will use scientific equipment to make discoveries and observations. Days spent at our shoreside facility may include explorations in our teaching aquarium, science center or touch tanks. They’ll spend time outdoors, searching for creatures under the docks and in the mud during low tide. On field trips, including one day aboard our 90-foot research vessel, campers will head out into nature to learn how scientists study in the field. At the beach or in the marsh, they will learn to observe their surroundings and find life all around them.

Nothing excites the MSI staff more than to see campers arrive prepared for adventure. Well-prepared campers come ready to get dirty and wet (with closed-toed shoes!), and have thought-provoking questions to stump our staff of marine scientists. They bring trash-free lunches and reusable water bottles. Most of all, our campers arrive curious and eager to learn. They’ll leave with new excitement about science and as stewards of the environment.

Explorers in the tide pools at Pebble Beach/Bean Hollow

A young steward pledges to shower less (to save water)

Explorers study life in the salt ponds and sloughs at Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont.

Getting ready for the mud grab.

Campers helped to transplant seedlings at Save the Bay’s native plant nursery. These plants were used to restore wetland areas.

Heading out to Bair Island

Studying plankton at the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center in San Francisco

Fun and friendly staff.

Enjoy studying live animals at our aquarium.